Matfield, who has captained his country 17 times previously, will lead them against the World XV in Cape Town on Saturday and in the two Tests against Wales before finishing up against Scotland later this month.

The veteran said: “I'm here to serve the team and would like to make a positive contribution.

“When I decided to return to playing rugby, my aim was to be good enough to make the Springbok team. I never dreamt of leading the team again and it's a massive honour.”

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